


Heaven

by Capucine



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - 19th Century, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Prison, Drabble, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 04:26:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2799518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capucine/pseuds/Capucine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alice Kirkland is a pickpocket caught once too many times. Now, she waits in Newgate prison to be deported. But Michelle Mangam, one of the strange ladies who bring in Bibles and new dresses for the inmates, gives her her last taste of heaven before Australia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've done research on Newgate prison, and the prevailing mindset of the time towards the poor was A. They deserve being poor and B. Let's make punishments for them as horrible as possible, that'll teach them.
> 
> But at this point in time, there were too many people and not enough jobs. It was made worse by desperate Irish being shipped over to lower wages. So, lots of people turned to crime, and for small things, they would often end up on transport to Australia.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the historical drabble!

Alice had definitely picked the wrong pocket that time. She could still remember the meaty hands crushing the bones in her wrist as the man dragged her forward.

“She's a thief! Get the police!”

It was Hell here, what little Alice knew of it. She could hear the mad ones sob, scream, shit on their sleeping areas. She could hear the mothers trying to quietly nurse their babies, the ones that wailed from the weak milk from their mothers.

It was darker than the inside of the factory Alice had once worked. It was darker than in the night without the moon. And everyone had to watch themselves at all times; there were some sticky fingers in this lot.

Still, when the light streamed in, Alice was sure she had seen an angel.

The girl was in a starch dress, simple but so much more than Alice had ever had. She had dark skin, long, black-brown hair tied up in two red ribbons, and clutched the books to her like she was afraid the women would bite.

The other women with her were pale white, and started handing out the books. The dark girl came over to Alice, saying, “Here's a Bible; it has God's word in it. Mary'll be along with the dress for you, and sewing supplies.”

“Wait,” Alice said, holding the Bible. “What's your name?”

“Michelle, Michelle Mancham.” She stopped for a second, as though her great work needed a pause for this one sinner. “What's yours?”

“Alice Kirkland,” Alice replied, and the girl had eyes the color of sweets that Alice had longed for: chocolate. She'd stolen it once, right out of a chocolatier's shop. And she had craved it ever since.

Michelle seemed to debate what to do. There was no chance she would sit down next to Alice in this flea-ridden hellhole, but she did look at her with sad eyes. “What did you do to get in here?”

“Stole a pocket-watch. Second offense, so it's off to Australia for me,” Alice said, a sort churning in her gut as she thought of how far away Australia must be. She had never left London, and she could barely imagine going up North in the United Kingdom.

“That's on the other side of the world,” Michelle said gently, empathetically. “I'm sorry.”

Alice tried not to remember that part. No one ever returned from Australia, that she knew of. “At least I will eat, I think.”

Michelle seemed to glance about, and she furtively dropped something into Alice's lap. “Take care,” she said, “take care, Alice.”

Alice felt the rounded object, kind of flat in her hand. A sniff told her everything she wanted to know: chocolate.

How had the girl known? But Michelle was already down the way, giving other women Bibles.

Alice ate it, before anyone could notice she had it. She shut her eyes, the flavor washing over her tongue; it was so much more than anything she had ever eaten. It tasted like heaven.

Two weeks later, she was on the ship, bound for Australia. The Bible proved fairly useless, despite the stories about God and Heaven they had heard from the women; Alice couldn't read. But she knew what Heaven was:

Chocolate on your tongue.


End file.
